Having recently purchased Fitchburg's well-known Marshall Farm, Jim and Allison Lattanzi have not only brought a new name to the 100-acre property, but also a different way of doing things. After all, they say, having an extraordinary farm requires a unique way of doing things — and maintaining simple old-school charm while utilizing the best equipment and technology of the new millennium has so far been a winning strategy. With so many new and exciting additions to their farm, they are busy preparing for the upcoming apple season, yet they still have to focus on the current season — maple sugaring

By Amanda Roberge CORRESPONDENT

Having recently purchased Fitchburg's well-known Marshall Farm, Jim and Allison Lattanzi have not only brought a new name to the 100-acre property, but also a different way of doing things. After all, they say, having an extraordinary farm requires a unique way of doing things — and maintaining simple old-school charm while utilizing the best equipment and technology of the new millennium has so far been a winning strategy. With so many new and exciting additions to their farm, they are busy preparing for the upcoming apple season, yet they still have to focus on the current season — maple sugaring. With plenty of experience under their belts as maple-syrup producers, this is surely the calm before the storm at the new and improved Hollis Hills Farm.

When does the maple-sugaring begin?

"It's now in full swing. The maple sap starts running when the days are above freezing and the nights are below. This season we are about two weeks behind a normal year."

Tell me a little bit about how you got into this scene — have you been doing it your whole life?

Jim: "No. A few years back, when I had some extra time, we started boiling at our house — in the kitchen, on the wood stove and on a turkey fryer in the driveway. Not being able to process the sap as fast as we were collecting it led me to making a deal with Mark Ewen of 'Ewen's Sleepy Hollow' from Lunenburg. We ended up purchasing all of his maple processing equipment and operated out of his sugar shack for the past two seasons. With the experience gained in Lunenburg, we knew how we wanted to set up our new shack. It came out great."

Do you help out with the sugaring operation, Allison?

Allison: "Yes, I handle the production of the confections — I make the maple creams and candies. With the help of my mother, we further process the finished syrup into other products. The new facility here is great as we have lots of room to work in our commercial kitchen."

Exactly how much syrup can you produce in one season?

Jim: "Last year we collected 19,000 gallons of sap, making roughly 450 gallons of finished syrup. Each year, we are adding more taps as we work to expand our operation. We are processing sap from roughly 2,000 taps this year, up from 1,400 last year. Each sugaring season is different from the last as everything we do is driven by the weather."

Any big dreams for the future of Hollis Hills Farm?

"We have lots of plans for reopening this beautiful farm. For so long, locals flocked to Marshall Farm for their fall apples, pumpkin picking, and delicious treats. We will be reopening the pick-your-own apples and pumpkins this fall, as well as adding our existing products of natural meats and maple products to our year-round farm store."

You must have all kinds of misadventures in farming. Any fond memories?

Jim: "Farming is always an adventure. A few years ago, we had four sows about to farrow (give birth) and we received a phone call early in the morning stating that two of our neighbor's yards appeared to have been rototilled in the middle of the night. Immediately I suspected our sows had done some late-night rooting, yet our neighbor adamantly would not believe it. After a quick trek to the barn, the sows were all snoring with the pen door left slightly open. They were guilty. Fortunately, our neighbors found this to be quite comical and we did some quick landscaping to repair the damage."

Did you always plan to be a farmer's wife?

Allison: "Not exactly! It started with "We should get some chickens," so we built a coop and we did. Then Jim came home one day with a couple piglets after visiting a county fair in Maine — it kind of snowballed from there."

Y ou two maintain a very active Facebook page with a lot of interaction — I would say you are definitely 21st century farmers. How has social media changed the landscape of how you do business?

Jim: "It's the easiest way to let our supporters know what is going on at the farm. I have a love-hate relationship with the Internet and social media, but what I love is the comments and feedback we get — they help us to serve our customers better."

Allison: "It has definitely helped our customers to get to know us and what we do, and how we do it. I think it has helped them to develop an appreciation for what we are doing and also facilitates communication and feedback."

Are you planning any other additions to the farm?

Jim: "Around June 21st we will be adding one — Allison is expecting our first child."